And heav'n, as at some festival, Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. XVI. But wisest Fate says, no, This must not yet be so, The babe lies yet in smiling infancy, That on the bitter cross Must redeem our loss; So both himself and us to glorify; Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep, XVII. With such a horrid clang As on mount Sinai rang, 150 While the red fire, and smouldering clouds out brake: XVIII. The aged earth aghast, With terror of that blast, Shall from the surface to the centre shake; When at the world's last session, [throne. The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his And then at last our bliss Full and perfect is, 155 But now begins; for from this happy day The old Dragon under ground 160 165 Not half so far casts his usurped sway, And wroth to see his kingdom fail, Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail. XIX. The oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, XX. The lonely mountains o'er, And the resounding shore, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance, or breathed spell Inspires the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell. 170 172 Swinges] See Cowley's Davideis, p. 313. A voice of weeping heard and loud lament; From haunted spring, and dale Edg'd with poplar pale, The parting genius is with sighing sent; With flow'r-inwoven tresses torn The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. 185 'Pectora tum longæ percellit verbere caudæ.' 183 weeping] Matthew, ii. 18. In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping.' Warton. " 185 poplar pale] Hall's Satires, ed. Sing. p. 93. The palish poplar;' and 169, and palish twigs of deadly poplar tree.' Virg. Ecl. ix. 39. Candida populus.' XXI. In consecrated earth, And on the holy hearth, The Lars, and Lemures moan with midnight plaint; In urns, and altars round, A drear and dying sound Affrights the Flamens at their service quaint; And the chill marble seems to sweat, 195 While each peculiar Pow'r foregoes his wonted seat. XXII. Peor and Baälim Forsake their temples dim, With that twice-batter'd God of Palestine; And mooned Ashtaroth, Heav'n's queen and mother both, Now sits not girt with tapers' holy shine; The Lybic Hammon shrinks his horn, In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn. XXIII. 190 And sullen Moloch fled, Hath left in shadows dread His burning idol all of blackest hue; In vain with cymbals' ring They call the grisly king, 200 205 191 Lars] Lemures, et Larvas, et Empusas.' Miltoni Prolus. p. 80. 197 Peor] See B. Martini Var. Lectiones, p. 131, 132. 200 mooned] Milton added this word to our language. Todd. In dismal dance about the furnace blue: XXIV. Nor is Osiris seen In Memphian grove or green, [loud: Trampling the unshow'r'd grass with lowings Nor can he be at rest 216 XXV. He feels from Juda's land The dreaded Infant's hand, The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; Nor all the Gods beside, Within his sacred chest; Nought but profoundest hell can be his shroud ; In vain with timbrell'd anthems dark The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipp'd ark. Longer dare abide, Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine: Our babe, to show his Godhead true, XXVI. 210 So when the sun in bed, Curtain'd with cloudy red, [crew. Can in his swaddling bands control the damned 215 Trampling] Benlowes's Theophila, p. 237. 'Of wide hornd oxen trampling grass with lowings loud.' VOL. II. 41 225 230 Pillows his chin upon an orient wave, The flocking shadows pale Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave; And the yellow-skirted Fayes Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd maze. XXVII. But see the Virgin blest Hath laid her Babe to rest, Time is our tedious song should here have ending; Heav'n's youngest teemed star Hath fix'd her polish'd car, Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending; And all about the courtly stable Bright-harness'd Angels sit in order serviceable. 235 And yonder shines,' &c. 231 chin] T. Warton has not remarked the use of this word in old poetry; when it brought with it no associations of familiarity or burlesque. Chapman's Hom. Il. p. 113, 'Both goddesses let fall their chins.' Odyss. p. 303. 310, Jove shook his sable chin.' The Ballad of Gil Morrice, 158, 'And kiss'd baith mouth and chin,' 169, 'And syne she kiss'd his bluidy cheeke, and syne his bluidy chin.' And Percy's Reliques, iii. 57, 'Our Lady bore up her chinne.' 232 shadows] M. Bowle refers to Mids. Night's Dream, act iii. sc. ult. 244 harness'd] Exodus, xiii. 18. harnessed out of the land of Egypt.' 240 The children of Israel went up |